The behavior that teachers in rural education treat students differently according to their academic performance is summarized as selective abandonment.This field study analyzes the behavior,mechanism,and rationalization logic of the selective abandonment behavior.The findings are as follows:selective abandonment is the result of rational choice based on the benefit maximization orientation in rural education;under the influence of the county-based education system and the performance-based selection mechanism,rural schools regard students'academic performance as the weight to improve their social status and obtain educational resources;and selective abandonment is an act of collusion between rural teachers who are trapped in the dual predicament of culture and system,rural parents who lack cultural capital,and students who are excluded by the elite culture of the school.